Sydney Steele

Art 133 05, 06

November 1, 2017

Unit 5 Structures and Systems

Structures and systems are essential to the operation of the classroom and standardization

of learning for students. Structures and systems not only make up the curriculum and educational

process, but are also the very basis of our economy and culture. There are structures and systems

within everything we do on a day-to-day basis. The structures and systems that lead the

education world are referred to as standards. Incorporating standards-based teaching into art

education is a tricky endeavor because art is so open to interpretation and difficult to regiment.

Elliot Eisner makes an effort to do this by explaining the 10 Lessons the Arts Teach (Eisner,

2002). Eisner explains that art teaches students good judgement, celebrates different perspectives

and interpretations, and gives children an outlet to express what language cannot convey.

As an elementary teacher, it is literally my job to teach students using standards and in

application of those standards, promote critical thinking and deeper meaning making within each

lesson. I love the Chance Operations studio that was used in class. Giving specific, step-by-

step, rules gave the students structure, but also allowed them the opportunity to create a work

that was unique and meaningful to themselves. I like the structure of the lesson because I am a

very structured person, but I also appreciate the individuality of each piece created in the class. I

think it would be an effective lesson to do this as an entire class with elementary students and

give them a list of directions, much like the sheet given to us, and have them work together to

create a work of art that means something to them. This studio project would also accompany the

10 Lessons the Arts Teach because it gives students the ability and willingness to surrender to
the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds (Eisner, 2002, p. 29). In doing this

students are using structures and systems in an almost unstructured way.

References

Eisner, E. (2002). The arts and the creation of mind. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.